ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a match
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wind — moving air
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com